It is not easy for TTP to regain foothold in Karachi, say experts

Although the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has officially announced its leadership for Karachi for the first time after the Karachi operation, security experts believe that the TTP has become a lot weaker now and lacks the ability to conduct operations in Karachi as it did in the past.

“In Karachi, the kind of terrorism or TTP activities that used to happen in the past are no longer prevalent. It doesn't mean they will never happen again but it might take a considerable amount of time,” said senior counterterrorism officer Raja Umer Khattab while talking to The News.

“The TTP was the biggest law and order issue of the country but due to operations like Zarb-e-Azb, Raddul Fasad as well as Karachi operation, the network that the TTP had in Karachi was dismantled.”

Khattab added that if the TTP wanted to regain its strength in Karachi, it would be very difficult. He explained that due to operations against terrorism, the supply lines for the TTP had largely been cut off.

He was of the view that the TTP militants now could not carry out terror activities easily across the country, due to which there had been an increase in militant activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“The journey from Waziristan to Karachi is quite long and the terrorists may not have the same level of local support or the strength to influence or deploy militants in the city,” the officer explained. “This is not a sudden disappearance of the TTP or other militant outfits. Instead, it is the result of years of efforts and many officers and personnel from law enforcement agencies have sacrificed their lives in this process.”

Giving a historical perspective, Khattab said that earlier, the law enforcers in Karachi also had to deal with other militant outfits besides the TTP, such as Al Qaeda's offshoots like Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), Harkatul Mujahideen Al Almi, Ansarul Shariah and Jundullah Pakistan.

The last operation against AQlS in Karachi took place in 2016. Similarly, Ansarul Shariah was active in the city for a brief period and stopped its activities after the attack on Khawaja Izharul Hassan, a prominent figure associated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

“All these offshoots were ultimately unable to operate for an extended period and their activities were effectively curtailed by the security forces,” Khattab said. Karachi, being a significant hub of commerce and politics, has historically been a target of terrorist attacks. But in the past few years, the TTP was attributed only for attacking the Karachi Police Office (KPO), which suggested that due to back-to-back operations across the country, the TTP had altered its operational strategies in Karachi.

Previously known for carrying out terrorist activities to gain international attention, the TTP seems currently focused on raising funds and building logistical support.

“Militant organisations have their own strategies. Whenever they identify a soft target, they plan and attempt to hit it to achieve their objectives. Sometimes, they remain silent for a while, and it's possible that during this period, they are planning,” said Tahir Khan, a senior journalist with expertise on Afghanistan and Taliban.

“With the TTP establishing its organisational network, Karachi has been given the status of a ‘wilayat’ or province in their system.” Khan said that in the past, Karachi did not have such a strong monitoring system, which allowed militant organisations to easily establish their networks and operate here after coming from areas like Waziristan or other tribal regions. However, now, it was not as easy for them to do so, the journalist added.

Khan explained that security forces had improved their monitoring and surveillance capabilities, making it more challenging for militant organisations to operate smoothly. Enhanced security measures and intelligence gathering had also weakened their methods, making it difficult for them to establish a presence in Karachi and maintain their networks there.